Columban Fr Padhraic O'Loughlin RIP
Submitted by FatherSean on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 10:44.
Fr Padhraic O'Loughlin, 1934-2011
'He was in all things a gentleman, a gracious and caring host, someone whose natural tendency was to support and affirm his fellow-Columbans.'
Fr Padhraic O’Loughlin was born in Castlebar, County Mayo, on 14 June 1934 .Educated at St Patrick’s National School, Castlebar and St Gerald’s College, Castlebar, he came to St Columban’s, Navan, in 1951. He was ordained priest on 22 December 1957.After post-graduate studies in education at Boston College, Massachusetts.,USA, from 1958-1960, Father Padhraic’s first mission assignment was to Fiji.
There he joined the staff of Corpus Christ Teacher’s Training College in Ba. In 1966 he was appointed to St Columban’s, Dalgan Park, Navan, Ireland, where he served as Dean and Socius to the Spiritual Year Students. From 1968-1970 he studied in Rome where he was awarded an STL degree. On his return to Dalgan he served as Vice-Rector and Director of the Spiritual Year; from 1973-1979 he served as Rector of the seminary. In 1980 he was appointed to Peru where he worked in pastoral ministry in a number of Lima’s parishes before becoming Director of the Region in 1988. At the same time he served as Episcopal Vicar of the civil districts of Los Olivos, and President of the El Instituto Superior de Estudios Teologicos, where our Peruvian seminarians were studying. In 1993 he was appointed Superior of the Columban house in Corso Trieste, Rome, and from 1995 until his death served as Procurator General of the Society of St Columban.
A prayerful shy man with a gentle sense of humour, Padhraic preferred to stay quietly in the background, but, because of his many talents,he was constantly asked to assume positions of responsibility. He fulfilled all his various roles with competence and affability.
He was in all things a gentleman, a gracious and caring host, someone whose natural tendency was to support and affirm his fellow-Columbans. He had looked forward to retirement when struck down by illness in recent months. He died suddenly in the Columban House in Corso Trieste, Rome, on 19 October 2011.
May he rest in peace.
